The Flow of Redemption
by Collarander the Unicorn
Summary: What if Professor Gast didn't die that day? What if by fate, twenty two years later he makes a journey to the City of the Ancients?
1. Pathway

**The Flow of Redemption**

**Chapter 1: Pathway**

Final Fantasy 7 belongs to Square-Enix.

_This fanfic is a "what if" on Professor Gast on that faithful day. All we know is that Hojo shot Gast, but what happened after that? What if, Professor Gast was not killed? What if he was only badly injured? And what if, he takes a walk one day through the city of the Ancients twenty-two years later...?_

"All I can remember is the sound of the gun. I was told there was a lot of blood, but I was not concious enough to see it. I remember crying out to my wife. For her to take our daughter and run. I do not remember what happened after this. I do not know if they escaped, or if they were captured and placed under horrific experimentation. All I know is, I will vow revenge on that man, Hojo.

It has been twenty-two years since that day. The doctors have told me I am now fit to walk, they tell me to go on with my life. But I cannot. I still bear the timeless scars of those bullets upon my chest, both physically and mentally. They are my only memento of that incident.

I wonder if they still live, hidden away. Safe. My only hope. I will find them, I will go to the City of the Ancients and they, they will be there waiting for me. But with what? Open arms? Seems unlikely. It was my fault after all, my fault that that man found us. I wonder if I will be forgiven, by Ifalna...and Aeris...dear Aeris..."

The diary snapped shut as the old man placed a weather wore pen down. The diary itself was rather meager, the leather faded in places and pages torn out in rage and suffering. The man stood up, struggling with the effort. His breathing came on more rapidly as he tried to pace himself. He pulled himself towards the exit with a walking stick, ignoring the efforts of the local nurse who tried to convince him to lay back down upon the bed. There was only one goal he had in mind, the City of the Ancients.

He opened the door, immediately giving entrance to cold sharp breezes that tore at his bones. The weather of Icicle Inn was always rough, but he had never planned on moving away. Memories kept him firmly in place. He stepped forwards into the sparkles of faded light, sky lightly coated with pale golden clouds, hearing the snow crunch lightly as he walked. Too many memories, too much guilt. If it were possible, he was going to gain forgiveness.

His heart seemed to grow lighter with each step he made towards the exit of Icicle Inn. But before he finally left his home of twenty-five years, he could not help but raise a hand in farewell towards the people of the town. Though they resented him for causing the loss of the last Cetra, he could not help but feel grateful for their help in his recovery. And now, his journey was finally beginning.

The frosts outside the town was lighter, he was thankful. But even this kind of weather was hard on the fifty-two year old. Yet he forced himself through the gales and the drifts with the determination of will. Only the thought of seeing his wife and child after all those years substained him. His throughts strayed particularly to his daughter, Aeris. She would be a grown woman now. He wondered if she had the looks of her mother, or, he mused to himself, would have been unfortunate enough to recieve his end of the chromosomes.

Days seemed to pass as he made his way towards the mountain cave. The entrance to the City of the Ancients. The moment the caught sight of the dark hole etched into the mountainside he quickly hurried forward. Both with anticipation and exhaustion. He slumped to his knees the moment he was clear of the brutal winds, gasping for breath and rubbing his hands together for warmth. The cave was only the beginning of the path. He still had a while yet before he would truly enter the city.


	2. Meeting

**Chapter 2: Meeting**

"The path to the City of the Ancients, or Cetra as they called themselves was remarkable. I am glad to have been able to see this place before I depart this world and return to the Lifestream. I can truly believe now how close the Ancients were to the planet. Their homes crafted by nature, held together only by the energy of the Lifestream.

Is this what you meant honey, when you told me the Ancients would settle the planet? While landslides and disasters occur, this is the only holy sanctuary to stay untouched by the forces of nature. Was this because the planet saw good in you, while all else suffer without understanding?

I wish to see more of this place, more about the Ancients, and maybe...one more glimsp of you."

He placed the old book back into his pocket. The ink from the pen was running out now, but he didn't mind. This might be, his last entry.

He was finally within the boundaries of the city. A city governed not by power and destruction, but by understanding and knowledge. Professor Gast could not help but stare in awe at the creations of the nearly expired race. The beauty of the delicate frames, the buildings, the pathways. All were created and cared for by nature, the only problem was, it was too silent to be called a city any longer. No voices, no footsteps, nothing but his own, which seemed to be faded by his surroundings.

He step forward, all too aware of the pious atmosphere. He felt as if he had entered a graveyard, or maybe a city of ghosts. The city had retained it's perfect state of mid life, yet there was no sound to clarify this. His own footsteps seemed to shatter the silence, though he stepped carefully. Was he imagining it, or could be hear the footsteps of others? Maybe ghosts. Were the spirits of the Cetra angry at him for entering their holy settlement? He froze, finally realizing that the footsteps were echoing from behind him. Turning, the light that shone through the rafters blazed into his eyes. As his vision finally focused onto the figure, he cried out in shock, immediately recognising the long brown hair and green eyes.

"Ifalna!"

The figure stopped, obviously startled. Asoft female voice answered, "Ifalna...? You...knew my mom...?"

Gast stared back, his own brain reeling as he tried to connect this new information. _Mom? ...does that mean...? Is she..._

"Aeris...?"

The young woman gave a faint smile and a nod. He could see her clearly now. She retained her mothers' eyes, the exact shape and shade of green, and also the same oak coloured hair. She was the image of his wife that he had kept locked in his memory for all the years since that day.

Aeris stood uncomfortably in front of the old man. She was sure she knew him, he obviously knew her, but from where? There was a familiarity there that she could not realise, yet she could sense that he was not an Ancient.

"Sorry...I don't seem to know you. Did you know my mom? Her name was Ifalna."

Gast could not answer, hearing his own daughter speak, it was as if a shadow of his wife still remained within Aeris. Both their voices spoke to him in unison, with a clear distinct tone that threw him back into memories. The images of that haunting day dazed his vision, surrounding him, enclosing him. He was being trapped, dragged down...

"Aeris...please forgive me! It was my fault! My fault you and Ifalna...my dearest...How could I...!"

The man threw himself to his knees before her. Eyes flowing with the tears of guilt and misery. The woman took a step back, unsure of what to do, then knelt before him, her own mind rushing with the intensity of understanding sympathy. Gast did not look up until he realised that the tears falling upon the cold stone floor were not all his own. As he raised his head, he saw the eyes of his wife looking back at him. The same eyes he had seen twenty two years ago.

"...dad...?" Aeris finally whispered, he voice no longer substaining her as she trailed off. There were no other words to say. The two embraced each other. Their first true meeting since that faithful day.


	3. Farewell

**Chapter 3: Farewell**

"To have finally met her. After all these years, after all my abandoned hope, the planet has still seeked to help us reunite. Now I can finally leave this world in peace.

Young Aeris has all the hopes of her mother, but also all the dangers. Hojo is still hunting her I see, if only I had realised his ambition sooner, then neither her nor her mother would have fallen into Shinra's hands. But she tells me she forgives me. How can that be? If it weren't for me...then Ifalna would still be alive.

I hope her well in the future, my young daughter. Butshe tells me of the danger of Sephiroth. How can that be? I remember that young boy all those years ago working alongside Hojo. He was treated so poorly by that 'man'. I remember helping as him as he got older, looking after the youngster. But now, he will be much older, at least years older than Aeris and no longer in need of a babysitter. I wonder what he has become? After I left for Icicle Inn, I wonder how that man as treated him, nowhere near a son I imagine.

Just another reason to despise that man. That fool..."

The ink finally etched its last words as Gast trailed off with the last sentence. Aeris was sitting by patiently, seemingly in meditation. The scientist remembered his wife also doing the same thing sometimes, she told him she was _communing with the planet, hearing it's wishes and worries. And...settling it. _This was what all the Ancients did, and Aeris was half.

Gast turned to look at the entrance of the city, Aeris had told him about it. The true city that was, an amazing place that was considered the holy sanctuary of the city as their temple was so far away, and now apparently destroyed.

"Dad...are you going to come with me to the city?"

Gast looked surprised at the question, apart from thinking that the young woman was still meditating, he didn't think he would be allowed access to such a place. A holy sanctuary of the Ancients? Why would a lowy human be allowed to defile it? It seemed as if she could read his mind, as after a few seconds of silence, she finally added, "I want you to come...and the planet says it wouldn't mind..."

"Then, let us go!" Gast replied with a smile. Aeris returned it and they both walked off down the centre path, though quite slowly due to the old mans' condition. They spoke happily, sharing memories, sharing lives. Both were estatic to have finally met one another.

The blue light reflecting off the lakes edge caught their attention. The beauty of it held their silence, they were nearly at the entrance to the forgotten city, yet Gast could have sworn that this peaceful place was it. He could almost hear the voices of the Lifestream itself calling to him. But what was it trying to say?

He closed his eyes, immitating the actions he had seem his daughter do just a while ago. And the voices shot through his mind. One voice stood out clearly, one he had held in memory for so many years, yet was so sure he would never hear again, he called to it, _"Ifalna...? Is that you...?"_

The voice replied clearly, as if the person was standing right beside him, though he knew that the voice he was hearing was not from his ears, it was radiating from inside his mind.

_"Yes dear, it is me. I think it's time."_

_"Time...?"_

He wasn't completely sure of what the voice was trying to tell him, but in his second of hesitation it finally hit him. He could feel the warmth of something unearthly enclosing him, a type of unreal fog that made his reality seem distant,

_"Yes, I think so too..." _He paused for a moment, lost for words,

".._..just let me say goodbye."_

Gast opened his eyes to his daughters' face. She watched him anxiously before asking, "Did the planet speak to you?"

He nodded slowly, unsure of how to form his next words.

"So, what did it tell you dad?"

"That...that it thought it was time.."

"Time? For what..?"

He did not answer, but his silence was enough for her. She looked at him, eyes shining from the beginning of tears, "But we just met..." The old man placed his arms around her in an embrace, "It's not forever. We'll meet again."

This was not much comfort for the young woman, as she began to cry, sobbing onto his shoulder. Gast held her close, allowing the tears to soak into his worn clothing. He was nearing tears himself, but he knew he had to be strong. He had to be the role model that Aeris had been missing throughtout her life.

The flow of tears finally stopped, as she released him, green eyes filled with sorrow. "I'll see you...and mom again. I just have to wait, right dad..?"

"That's right dear, but for now, you have to go on with life. Finish off the work of the Ancients." And with that last statement, he lay back onto the ground on the water's edge and closed his eyes. _"Time to see you again..."_

The brown haired woman did not leave his side as he lay still, lifeless. She could sense his spirit as it returned to it's beginnings, but she still could not bring herself to leave the body. She felt cheated by this reunion, why bring someone back if they were only going to remain for so little time in her life? Why do anything to help the planet if it did not see favour apon her?

_"Aeris dear, I believe you still have a job to do."_

She bolted upright, looking around for the source of the voice. Yet her eyes failed to fall upon any other living soul. "Dad? Where are you...?" She called out to the open space, eyes still scanning the distances of the lake.

_"I'm...always with you dear. Always near you."_

"But..."

Aeris felt herself lost for words, her emotions were mixed, scrambled and she did not know how to express them. She finally nodded to herself in firm acceptance, _"Someday we'll meet again, right dad? All I have to do is be patient."_

With this final statement to herself, she lifed herself up onto her feet and stepped fowards, into the Forgotten City. She still had a job to do, she was going to save the world. And when it was over, she would be reunited with the ones she cared for.

The End


End file.
